


I'm Helping

by Desdimonda



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cole friendship, Cole helps, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 18:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3219059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desdimonda/pseuds/Desdimonda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cole and Saige Trevelyan get ready for the ball.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Helping

‘No Cole, the collar points down,’ said Saige, pressing down the neck of his dress shirt, laughing gently at his confused gaze.

‘But clothes don’t point. Clothes don’t mind which way they are. Not like people. People like it when they’re standing. They don’t like it when they’re upside down,’ said Cole, watching Saige fuss over his dress suit, her fingers flattening down the sash. Nervous fingers; trembling, betraying the false smile she gave, hiding the tremor in her heart.

‘ _False faces. False eyes. Hidden, too afraid to be free. Why the façade? Weapons not words. Actions not ceremony.’_

Saige paused, eyes dipping, staring at the hem of his dress suit.

‘But Josie will be there,’ said Cole giving her a small smile. ‘ _She’s excited. A laugh, a smile, a dance, a twirl. She misses it; the words, the ceremony. The trepidation, the veil of masquerade, the step, step of the game._ She’s excited, to see it all again, with you.’

Uneasy fingers slid across the buttons of his shirt as he talked. She hooked them through, one by one; they felt like slithers of silk, loose, free, skittering from her grip. Saige tried to steady her raspy breath, accentuated by the tap, tap of her heart. She told herself, over and over, to not be afraid. They smell fear; they feed off it.

Last night was sleepless; the silence was too loud, keeping her awake, her only company the swathe of stars that littered the night sky, twinkling in tandem to the beat, beat, beat of her anxious heart. She had thought about knocking on Josie’s door, with arms outstretched, asking for the simplicity of a hug, but she resisted. Her fear was foolish, illogical. Her dagger had cut through the skin of enemies, countless, endless. She had stood before demons, steady, resolute, the only fear she held was for those at her side; not her.

‘You should have went to her. She would never turn you away.’ Cole paused, catching Saige’s gaze, that little smile still there. ‘I would never turn you away. I help. I’m here to help. I want to help.’

Saige fastened the last of the buttons on his shirt and nodded. ‘I know, Cole. And you do.’

‘ _Feet, quick, subtle, deft. She can dance the song of battle, but can she dance the song of Orlais?’_

Cole didn’t wait for her reply and took both hands into his, soft, cold fingers trying to quell the tremble. Her lips parted as she began to mouth words of protest, but that smile, his smile, she never wanted it to leave.

‘She’d like you to lead, I think,’ said Cole, setting Saige’s hand on his side, fingertips gracing his shoulder blade.

‘You’ve…danced before?’ asked Saige, holding Cole’s hand gently, his skin cool against hers.

‘No. I see it. I hear it. _One, two, three. Step forward, step back._ She goes through it, in her head. And in it, you always lead,’ said Cole, watching the tension, the tremor of fear being to slip away from behind her eyes, from beneath her skin.

‘I… don’t really know how to dance,’ admitted Saige, glancing to the floor.

‘Let’s try,’ urged Cole, taking an awkward step back.

Saige fumbled, almost tripping over her feet as she followed Cole. Left foot forward, then right. Was this right? Feet together, one step forward, the other followed. They slowly moved around the floor of Saige’s quarters, awkward feet tapping together, bodies brushing together when one took a wrong step.

Saige laughed as she tripped, almost colliding with the thin legged dresser. Cole echoed her laughter as they regained their balance and began to step again, one and two and three, then twirl.

‘I’m helping,’ beamed Cole, his small steps, awkward, as he twirled underneath Saige’s hand. As he came back around he stopped, colliding against Saige, wrapping his arms around for a hug. Saige paused, arms suspended in the air as young Cole held her tight, his body cold against hers. She smiled and rested her arms against his back, hearing his quiet ‘I’m helping’ one again.


End file.
